pratt



Sept. 29, 1931,

J. A. PRATT TENSION DEVICE Filed March 27, 192 9 ZSheets-Sheet l i I ,7 i2 4 13 @ruenfoz al 9. Fra Z 3 I abtoznu o Sept. 29, 1931. J. A. PRATT 1,825,089

TENSION DEVICE Filed March 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 GH'OZINHJB Patented Sept.

This inventionrelates totension devices for knitting machines and hafs'for its' obj ect the provlslon of a simple "and eiiicient' devic'e which will effectually'maintain the -yarn-under the proper ten sion and will prevent loss of the yarn or entanglement of thesamewhile it is out 'ofactionf i r I a t In theaccompanyingdrawings":

' Figure :1 is a side elevation of a tension 'de vice' embodying the invention, r

Fig. 2 1s aplan view'of thes'amefl Fig.3 1s a 'detail front i sau-amend i Fig.4 is a'rear elevation; In carrying out the present 1nvent1on, there comprising a post is secured a plate is provided a frame or supporting bracket 1, across the top of which 2 having eyes 3therein at 1 screws 19 inserted through the respective intervals to guide the yarn in an obvious manner. To the lower end of the post 1 is secured to be securedto the chine, a portion of celain sleeves an oilset transverse block this block is secured a-foot 5 which 4 and to one end of is adapted frame of the knitting mawhich is shown at 6. Ex-

secured in the post 1 near thereof is a rod 7 having por- 8 mounted thereon at opposite sides of the post, and upon said sleeves are loosely mounted tension F A ranged 1n pairs, as shown,

' press against the threads and are adapted to 10 passing through the several guide eyes 3 respectively alined therewith, it being understood that the eyes 3 are porcelain or similar bushingsset in openingsprovided therefor in the cross plate 2, a

smooth surface for thread being thus p free easy movement of the rovided and wear upon the metal parts being thereby reduced. The inner pairs of tension disks 4 the sides of the posts between the inner expansion springs sleeves 8 and hear so as to yieldably 1, as seen in Fig. 4, and

disks and the outer disks 11 are coiled around the against the several disks hold the disks in engagement with the threads passing through the respective pairs. shown most clearly sides of the post and yieldably held thereto by the springs, while of each outer pair bears against is fitted about the end por- H the outer disk a thimble 12 which The innermost disks, as

inFig. 4, bear against the the mat ng disks are disks 9 which are arsecured in place by a' set screw through the top Eigs; 1and4.

jangle lever'extends somewhat below the block *diate leversor llthe verticalplanes of the respective levers '15and are each provided on its upper edge with ashoulderQB adapted to abut theltooth 90 -23 androck the respective levere1 5 so that it "will carry its "spreader 17 acent tensiondisks and separate the same'to release the yarn. These I or;lever s extend to:the front otthe device, 95 their-{front ends being i as 1at:-27-,to'be engaged heels of; the controlling or thread-carrying 9 are disposed adjacent i'tionofltherod' 6 andis held in a fixed positionf by a set nut 13 threaded onto the adj acentend pftherodm L The block is'constructed with a plurality 0f slits or notches 14 extending vertically ,55

Tacross itsrear side and within these respecrtive notchesl'arefitted angle levers '15, each -of which has'its upper arm disposed adjacent the post and the cross rod 7 with its upper ezrtren ityturnedi laterally, as shown at: 00

l6,*'a nd'= carrying a tapered spreader 17 -whieh is adapted toenter between the related disks and separate the same. In order to obtain thei'proper coordination between the Spreaders and :spreaders are constructed with longitudinal the respective disks, the;

slots--18 and are held in a set position by the upper end of and also cooperates with the in the block 4 by as rod 21 inserted horizontally therefor inthe respectiveangle levers'and .22fmounted ofthe block, asv s'hown ini The lower portionof each and terminates in a tapered tooth 23. *MOnnt'ed-trpOn the frame-of the knitting ma;

chine in a block-2d are a plurality of interine- 35 4 fingers 25 which are disposed in in between thefadintermediate fingers' turned downwardly, by the rear ends, or

fingers28 which are mountedon the frame of the machine just overthe needle circle and mo thread passes from the tension disks 9 to,

10 and through a guide eye 29 on the frame of the machine and thence to an eye in the end of the corresponding controlling finger. 28, the

taut thread 30 passing through an eye'31 in front of the eye 29 and thence to-an eye in the same finger, as will be understood on reference to F ig. 1. The thread 30 runs through the ..usual tension device at the top of themachine (not shown) and is always under tension. .The heel and toe thread 32 is also a1- ways' under tension from a tension device -(not shown) at the top of a machine and passes through an eye 33 to a finger 28 with which there is no. cooperating intermediate finger, .7 F In knitting fancy hose, there are always two threads. When the controlling finger is raised, the pattern threads carried thereby are out of action and the corresponding levers 25 and 15 assume poistions which carry the spreader away from the tension disks and permit them to close on thethread 10 and hold it under the influence of the spring 11. ,The 1 thread 10 is thus held firmly so that it may be 7 cut. cleanly and it will not miss the needles,

asoneqof' which is indicated at. 34,. when it is againcarried into action.

. lingfinger drops intoaction, the heel thereof rides against the pendent terminal 27 of the 'correspondingintermediate lever 25 and rocks 4 the same so that. the shoulder26. thereon impinges upon the tooth 23 and rocks the corresponding lever 15, the spreader on said lever .ibeing thereby carried to and betweenthe cor- I responding disks to separate the same and 11 ripermitwthe thread to run-loose.

of holding the loose fingers corres onding disks, intermediate fingers arrange below and enga 'ng the lower ends of the levers for rocking ti e same, and patterncontrolled thread-carrying fingers below the intermediate fingers and in engagement therewith to selectively actuate the same.

2. The combination of a 0st, a cross bar thereon provided with guide eyes, pairs of thread-engaging disks supported at the side of the post below the cross bar and alined with respective eyes therein, a plurality of levers arranged in advance of and alined with the respective pairs of disks, spreaders carried by the upper ends of the levers to separate the coacting disks, the Spreaders being adjustable across the ends of the respective levers,-intermediate fingers below and extending across the lower J ends of the respective levers and provided on their upper sides with shoulders to engage the lower ends of the levers, the free ends of said fingers being extended downwardly, and pattern-controlled thread-carr ing fingers mounted below the intermediate and having upturned ends bearing against the down-turned ends of the intermediate fingers to rock the same.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' JOHN A. PRATT. [L.-s.]

. When the controlr V ponreference to Fig. 3, it will be noticed I. that there are five controlling fingers but only .four levers. l/Vhen the finger carrying the heel and toe thread or any one finger is down,

5 the other four fingers are up.

Various changes in detailsmay inadein 1' adapting the invention to specific conditions without departing from the spirit or scope of the; invention as the same is defined inth apj pended claims.

, Having thus described the invention, 1 I,

I claim:

' I 1. The combination of a support, pairs of V V 'tension disks thereon arranged to hold threads -6 for a knitting machine, pattern-controlled fingers below the disks engaged with the re I I spective threads, angle levers fulcrumed on the support below the tension disks, tapered 'spreaders carriedby the upper ends of said levers to enter between and move from the 

